The Big 12 is finally moving forward with expansion after taking losses in the last round of conference realignment. As of now, BYU and Houston are considered the two favorites to get into the conference, but ESPN's Paul Finebaum says that the Big 12 should be less concerned about the "favorite" to get in and more on the favorite to get out.
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"I think the bigger question is will the Big 12 survive when all this is over," Finebaum said on ESPN earlier this week. "There are rumors all over the place about other leagues poaching. I believe Oklahoma would probably rather be in the SEC or the Big Ten than the Big 12."
Ouch.
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Considering how rapidly the expansion process has gone for the Big 12 in the past two weeks, you have to wonder if those talks escalated due to rumors like these. There have been rumors of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the conference since realignment was sparked in 2010 by Nebraska leaving for the Big Ten. Texas A&M and Missouri would leave the conference not long after, with both departing to the SEC. Colorado also found itself a new home by heading to then Pac-10.
The Big 12 compensated by adding TCU and West Virginia. So far, the addition of the Horned Frogs has been seen as a big success.
Could the rumors of the Big 12 falling apart start to heat up again if expansion goes a way that neither Texas nor Oklahoma approve of? I guess we will have to wait and see.
